Prevalence and risk factors for HIV infection in truck drivers: a systematic review of global evidence
SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi 1, Ramin Shahidi 2, Parisa Matini 3, Pegah Mirzapour 1, Ghazal Arjmand 4, Iman Amiri-Fard 5, Haleh Siami 6, Soudabeh Yarmohammadi 7, Esmaeil Mehraeen 8, Omid Dadras 9
1 Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS, Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviors, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2 School of Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran; 3 School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 4 Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 5 Department of Community Health Nursing and Geriatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 6 School of Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; 7 Trauma Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; 8 Department of Health Information Technology, Khalkhal University of Medical Sciences, Khalkhal, Iran; 9 Bergen Addiction Research, Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
*Correspondence: Esmaeil Mehraeen, Email not available
Abstract
Transporting and driving long distances might be associated with an increased risk of contracting HIV in truck drivers, which is recognized as a link to network transmission of HIV among this population. The present study aims to systematically review the prevalence and risk factors of HIV infection in truck drivers globally. A comprehensive search of the databases of Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was carried out. The original papers reporting statistics on the prevalence and risk factors of HIV infection among truck drivers were included. In this study, 23 original articles that met the eligibility criteria were reviewed. All articles were crosssectional studies in which a total number of 16,315 truck drivers were studied to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of HIV infection. Findings indicated high HIV seroprevalence among truck drivers, with the highest prevalence of 56% in South Africa. HIV/AIDS awareness and condom use among truckers were reported low. Having sex with other men, circumcision status, time away from home, marital status, years working as a truck driver, education, income, and drug/alcohol use are the most important risk factors for HIV in truck drivers. Longer time on the road can increase the risk of infection by creating conditions for unsafe sex, in particular, having sex with other men. Low socioeconomic status exacerbates the condition. HIV risk-reduction interventions for long-distance truck drivers are necessary to enhance the awareness of sexually transmitted infections and introduce protective measures such as condoms.
